The Boy in the Box - America's Unknown Child
(This entry contains graphic images, viewer discretion is advised)
The case of the Boy in the Box is one that many people may be unaware of. Although the case is horrifically vile, this incident that occurred decades ago usually doesn’t rank among the most popular unsolved mysteries, however it is definitely worth knowing. Here I will outline some of the case details and explain how the identity of this young boy still remains unsolved.
On February 26, 1957 the body of a young boy was found discarded in a cardboard box off a dirt road in Fox Chase, Philadelphia. Police came to find the body after a college student alerted them, assuming previously that it was a discarded doll. The little boy was Caucasian with blue eyes, light brown hair, slender build, measured 1.04 meters tall and weighed only 13 kilograms. The police noted that he had a choppy hair cut that was seemingly ‘rushed’ and had distinctive moles and surgical scars across his face and body. In identifying his rough hair-cut, the police discovered small clumps of cut hair on his body. The child’s palms and feet were both wrinkled in such a way that correlated with the body being immersed in water for a considerable amount of time, either pre or post mortem. There were also various bruises across the child’s body, particularly on the face, which were determined to be inflicted at the same time. The exact age of the child was not determined at the time, but was estimated to be around 4 or 5 years old. It was also inferred that the child’s ancestors were from central Europe.
This case was unlike any John/Jane Doe mystery before it. Rarely did cases exist where a body couldn’t be identified within at least a day. He should have been easy enough to identify, according to his features, but no leads arose. The detectives dressed the boy and staged post mortem photos, hoping this would generate possible information. As nothing promptly came up, time was running out and police distributed the photo across the city and nearby areas, displaying it in post offices, courts, stores, orphanages and even in the monthly gas bill. Again, nothing turned up.
In order to hopefully uncover more clues all police, including the 270 rookies in the academy, were tasked with an extensive search for evidence which covered a 19 kilometer radius from the site the body was found. To further assist this, the FBI placed the case at top priority, the American Medical Association cross referenced the scars with doctors and hospitals in the area and detectives asked children in schoolyards whether a little boy who used to play with them had suddenly stopped coming around.
America’s Unknown Child has always been investigated as a homicide, however this is contested in the words of certain analysts. The cause of death was identified as multiple head injuries, yet the manner of death was never ruled. Since the cases opening in 1957, every possible theory has been suggested and thousands of empty leads and suspects have been investigated. Remington Bristow, a medical examiner who worked on the case, proposes that the boy was not a murder victim. Bristow suggested that due to the clean state of the body – being bathed and wrapped in a blanket, fresh haircut (although rough), clipped and clean nails and the arms being folded gently across his chest – this indicates that someone intended to bury him but was scared off. Perhaps the parents had left the body, fearing they’d be charged with homicide. I personally believe this theory, as I suspect a homicide would have yielded far more horrific injuries on the body. Others contest this, suggesting this was a sign of regret after murdering the child and an attempt to honour the lost life. Bristow also adds that if it were a homicide, the body would have been dumped alongside a road and perhaps shoved into a bag.
Today, the child remains listed on police records as “unidentified boy”, and the homicide case remains open. The case is also kept alive by the Vidocq society, an organisation which combines law enforcement, forensic and other crime experts to try and solve cold cases.
Police are certain someone is still out there who may hold key information on the case.
The latest facial reconstruction image can be found here.
References:
1. Americas Unknown Child.net - see more here
2. Missing Kids.org - see more here
By Bronte Tomaino (44914784)
The case of the Boy in the Box is one that many people may be unaware of. Although the case is horrifically vile, this incident that occurred decades ago usually doesn’t rank among the most popular unsolved mysteries, however it is definitely worth knowing. Here I will outline some of the case details and explain how the identity of this young boy still remains unsolved.
On February 26, 1957 the body of a young boy was found discarded in a cardboard box off a dirt road in Fox Chase, Philadelphia. Police came to find the body after a college student alerted them, assuming previously that it was a discarded doll. The little boy was Caucasian with blue eyes, light brown hair, slender build, measured 1.04 meters tall and weighed only 13 kilograms. The police noted that he had a choppy hair cut that was seemingly ‘rushed’ and had distinctive moles and surgical scars across his face and body. In identifying his rough hair-cut, the police discovered small clumps of cut hair on his body. The child’s palms and feet were both wrinkled in such a way that correlated with the body being immersed in water for a considerable amount of time, either pre or post mortem. There were also various bruises across the child’s body, particularly on the face, which were determined to be inflicted at the same time. The exact age of the child was not determined at the time, but was estimated to be around 4 or 5 years old. It was also inferred that the child’s ancestors were from central Europe.
Coroner's photography of the body: Source
This case was unlike any John/Jane Doe mystery before it. Rarely did cases exist where a body couldn’t be identified within at least a day. He should have been easy enough to identify, according to his features, but no leads arose. The detectives dressed the boy and staged post mortem photos, hoping this would generate possible information. As nothing promptly came up, time was running out and police distributed the photo across the city and nearby areas, displaying it in post offices, courts, stores, orphanages and even in the monthly gas bill. Again, nothing turned up.
The Original Poster: Source
In order to hopefully uncover more clues all police, including the 270 rookies in the academy, were tasked with an extensive search for evidence which covered a 19 kilometer radius from the site the body was found. To further assist this, the FBI placed the case at top priority, the American Medical Association cross referenced the scars with doctors and hospitals in the area and detectives asked children in schoolyards whether a little boy who used to play with them had suddenly stopped coming around.
Fox Chase, where the body was discovered: Source
America’s Unknown Child has always been investigated as a homicide, however this is contested in the words of certain analysts. The cause of death was identified as multiple head injuries, yet the manner of death was never ruled. Since the cases opening in 1957, every possible theory has been suggested and thousands of empty leads and suspects have been investigated. Remington Bristow, a medical examiner who worked on the case, proposes that the boy was not a murder victim. Bristow suggested that due to the clean state of the body – being bathed and wrapped in a blanket, fresh haircut (although rough), clipped and clean nails and the arms being folded gently across his chest – this indicates that someone intended to bury him but was scared off. Perhaps the parents had left the body, fearing they’d be charged with homicide. I personally believe this theory, as I suspect a homicide would have yielded far more horrific injuries on the body. Others contest this, suggesting this was a sign of regret after murdering the child and an attempt to honour the lost life. Bristow also adds that if it were a homicide, the body would have been dumped alongside a road and perhaps shoved into a bag.
Detectives at the scene: Source
Today, the child remains listed on police records as “unidentified boy”, and the homicide case remains open. The case is also kept alive by the Vidocq society, an organisation which combines law enforcement, forensic and other crime experts to try and solve cold cases.
Police are certain someone is still out there who may hold key information on the case.
The latest facial reconstruction image can be found here.
References:
1. Americas Unknown Child.net - see more here
2. Missing Kids.org - see more here
By Bronte Tomaino (44914784)
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